Clinical

Practical Experience: a hands-on approach to education

When educating skilled caregivers, there is no substitute for hands-on clinical experience. Not all degree programs include a clinical component, of course, But for those that do, we give students every opportunity to learn by doing.

For those programs in Kinesiology with a clinical component, students gain practical experience in a number of settings. Birmingham is an exceptional place to learn. For graduate and undergraduate students doing clinical work locally, few places offer more opportunities than Birmingham. We are surrounded by some of the finest health care facilities in the world, from acute care to specialty clinics.

Because Samford has earned an excellent reputation in the health care community, you’ll have opportunities to learn from some of the most skilled health care professionals in the world. Because we believe so strongly in the value of hands-on experience, you will complete more hours of clinical work than in most other programs.

Clinical Internships

Every student studying in the Department of Kinesiology is required to participate in at least one internship. The length of the internships ranges from 45-480 hours depending on the student’s major and the number of credits chosen for the internship. Internship sites vary depending on the academic major, and have in the past included:

Physicians‘ offices

Physical therapy or an occupational therapist offices

Dentists’ offices

Sports medicine clinics

Athletic offices

Sports training facilities

Cardiac rehabilitation facilities

High schools

Strength and conditioning facilities

YMCA facilities

Fitness facilities

Physician assistant clinicals

Sports marketing facilities

University athletic departments

Professional sports teams

“My internship this summer was such an eye opening, AWESOME experience. It put me out of my comfort zone and made me see the real world from so many different viewpoints. I got to work with someone I have looked up to my whole entire life, former Coach of the '99 Women's World Cup Championship team and Olympic team Tony DiCicco. I urge other students to go for your dream internship so you can learn what it is like in the real world before you have to actually jump into it.”

— Kelly Shaffer, Sport Administration ’10

93%

Acceptance rate for students from the School of Health Professions applying to graduate and professional schools